Transparent resin films are used in a variety of optical applications. For example, a number of different optical elements in Liquid Crystal Displays (“LCDs”) may be formed from resin films. The structure of LCDs may include a liquid crystal cell, one or more polarizer plates, and one or more light management films. Liquid crystal cells are formed by confining liquid crystals such as vertically-aligned (VA), in-plane switching (IPS), twisted nematic (TN) or super twisted nematic (STN) materials between two electrode substrates. Polarizer plates are typically a multi-layer element comprising resin films. In particular, a polarizer plate can comprise a polarizing film sandwiched between two protective cover sheets that comprise a low birefringence protective polymer film.
Polarizing films are normally prepared from a transparent and highly uniform, amorphous resin film that is subsequently stretched to orient the polymer molecules and then stained with a dye to produce dichroic film. An example of a suitable resin for the formation of polarizer films is fully hydrolyzed poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). Because the stretched PVA films used to form polarizers are very fragile and dimensionally unstable, protective cover sheets are normally laminated to both sides of the PVA film to offer both support and abrasion resistance.
Protective cover sheets used in polarizer plates are required to have high uniformity, good dimensional and chemical stability, and high transparency. Originally, protective coversheets were formed from glass, but a number of resin films are now used to produce lightweight and flexible polarizers. Many resins have been suggested for use in protective cover sheets including cellulosics, acrylics, cyclic olefin polymers, polycarbonates, and sulfones. However, acetyl cellulose polymers are most commonly used in protective cover sheets for polarizer plates. Polymers of the acetyl cellulose type are commercially available in a variety of molecular weights as well as the degree of acyl substitution of the hydroxyl groups on the cellulose backbone. Of these, the fully substituted polymer, triacetyl cellulose (TAC) is commonly used to manufacture resin films for use in protective cover sheets for polarizer plates.
The cover sheet normally requires a surface treatment to insure good adhesion to the PVA dichroic film. When TAC is used as the protective cover film of a polarizer plate, the TAC film is subjected to treatment in an alkali bath to saponify the TAC surface to provide suitable adhesion to the PVA dichroic film. The alkali treatment uses an aqueous solution containing a hydroxide of an alkali metal, such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. After alkali treatment, the cellulose acetate film is typically washed with weak acid solution followed by rinsing with water and drying. This saponification process is both messy and time consuming.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,362,580 describes a laminar structure wherein two cellulose ester films each having a surface layer containing cellulose nitrate and a modified PVA is adhered to both sides of a PVA film. JP 06094915A discloses a protective film for polarizer plates wherein the protective film has a hydrophilic layer which provides adhesion to PVA film. Commonly-assigned, copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/838,841, filed May 4, 2004 describes a guarded protective cover sheet having a removable, carrier substrate and a cover sheet comprising a low birefringence protective polymer film and a layer promoting adhesion to poly(vinyl alcohol) on the same side of the carrier substrate as the low birefringence protective polymer film which eliminates the need for the saponification process.
Protective cover sheets may be a composite or multilayer film including other functional layers (herein also referred to as auxiliary layers) such as an antiglare layer, antireflection layer, anti-smudge layer, compensation layer, or antistatic layer. Generally, these functional layers are applied in a process step that is separate from the manufacture of the low-birefringence protective polymer film, but may be later applied to a form a composite film. A functional or auxiliary film may combine functions of more than one functional layer, or a protective polymer film may also serve the function of a functional layer.
For example, some LCD device may contain a low birefringence protective polymer film that also serves as a compensation film to improve the viewing angle of an image. Compensation films (i.e. retardation films or phase difference films) are normally prepared from amorphous films that have a controlled level of birefringence prepared, for example, either by uniaxial stretching or by coating with discotic dyes. Suitable resins suggested for formation of compensation films by stretching include poly(vinyl alcohol)s, polycarbonates and sulfones. Compensation films prepared by treatment with dyes normally require highly transparent films having low birefringence such as TAC and cyclic olefin polymers.
Examples of optical films prepared by casting methods include: (1) Cellulose acetate sheets used to prepare light polarizing films as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,769 to Land and U.S. Pat. No. 5,925,289 to Cael as well as more recent disclosures in U.S. Patent Application. 2001/0039319 A1 to Harita and U.S. Patent Application 2002/001700 A1 to Sanefuji; (2) Cellulose triacetate sheets used for protective covers for light polarizing films as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,694 to Iwata; (3) Polycarbonate sheets used for protective covers for light polarizing films or for retardation plates as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,818,559 to Yoshida and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,478,518 and 5,561,180 both to Taketani; and (4) Polyethersulfone sheets used for protective covers for light polarizing films or for retardation plates as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,759,449 and 5,958,305 both to Shiro.
It would be desirable to further improve the optical properties of a film and protective cover sheets to increase the amount of light output in a display. The use of UV dyes in the prior art have caused problems of migrating to the surface causing surface haze and light scattering which reduces optical transmittance of the cover sheet.
It would be also very advantageous to avoid the need for saponification of protective cover sheets in the preparation of polarizer plates from resin films which requires a lamination process involving pretreatment in an alkali bath and then application of adhesives, pressure, and high temperatures. Avoiding such a saponification operation would improve both productivity and reduce the necessary conveyance and handling of the sheets. Although advantageous for protective cover sheets in general, this would be especially desirable for relatively thinner protective cover sheets.